Newsletter # 1 "Inspiration"

In the midst of these trying times we continued to be inspired in no small part by the kindness and support of our dear customers. Thank you for shopping online and for staying engaged with us. Now, more than ever, you make it all possible. We have decided to start our newsletter as a means of staying connected and hopefully to entertain you and us by exploring our inspirations and creative processes. We have been blessed in recent years to travel and are always inspired by the changes in nature from place to place, by the people and their regional aesthetic and style, by the tastes and smells and always by the fashion, architecture and art that we have been fortunate to see. 

National Museum of Ireland. Decorative Arts and History

Museums and Galleries, especially art museums, are a passion for our entire family and we spend a lot of time soaking them in. Art and artists are a great source of inspiration and joy for us and inevitably our Sharon London Designs. We have decided to revisit our journeys and inspirations as a focus  of our newsletter and we hope you enjoy our stories and perhaps will even share some of your own with us. Especially accompanied by a photo of you in Sharon London on your adventures  wherever they may be.

We had a two day layover couple of years ago in the magical city of Dublin. Ireland on our way to Sharon's Mom's Eightieth Birthday Celebration in London.  As artists everything informs us. Language, culture, art, music, food and drink and our short stay was very informative. However the greatest rewards were the museums. In just two days in Dublin we visited four major museums, two Art "Galleries", one Historical museum and one Science Exhibit at Trinity College, as well as the oldest Pub in Ireland, ESTD 1198, as we walked across the city. 

Our first afternoon was spent lazing on the grounds of Trinity College dealing with our jet lag and immersing into the local culture and the musical sounds of the Irish accents surrounding us while watching a youth race in honor of one of Ireland’s great Olympic runners. So cool and sweet to see little children whose race T-shirts went to the ground up to young teens all being supportive and enthusiastic and running their hearts out!  We then went to a very creative science/art exhibit , Science Gallery Dublin, at Trinity College which provided college students as guides to promote a dialogue between the visitors and the exhibits. They were very knowledgeable and excited to interact with us and the exhibits. 

 We visited Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison/poor house really, that illuminated the history of the people’s struggle for freedom and equity in Dublin and Ireland at large. A fascinating look into a world far from our own reality and a glimpse into the spirit and commitment of the Irish people to make change. As we left the Kilmainham we found ourselves crossing to the property of the National Museum of Ireland “Decorative Arts and History".  This was a surprise for us. The grounds and gardens themselves were awe inspiring. An old military barracks whose stables have been converted to artist studios drew us in to the ambiance and exhibits of modern art. It was a great and welcome discovery and we  spent several hours in the museum and gardens being surrounded by the color , dimension, form and movement of the artists exhibits.  Color has it’s own movement. Combinations that can be mouth watering and life affirming. All so important to creating fiber art that people can wear with joy.

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On our last morning in Dublin we visited a gallery we had read about featuring an exhibition depicting Francis Bacon’s studio and art.  We were expecting a smallish exhibit in a gallery setting, we didn't realize that Gallery is the term used for a museum in Ireland, but when we arrived at this just off the beaten path facility we were surprised to discover that this was a museum of world class quality devoted to Irish artists. The National Gallery of Ireland. Gorgeous! We had the place mostly to ourselves and were completely blown away. The depiction of Bacon’s Studio was fascinating. Now we are known to create a mess during the creative process but Bacon’s studio was a fascinatingly chaotic affair of color, paint, mangled brushes.

Ironically Sharon is not only a great designer and maker but she studied Fine Art in College and is a magnificent abstract painter in her own right. Sharon’s senior thesis work at Middlesex University in England reminded me quite a bit of Bacon’s work. Rough, immediate obscure figurative work with incredible life and depth of feeling. Her newer work is vibrant, colorful and involved and you can easily see the connection to our Sharon London aesthetic and style.

Even back in Sharon’s teen’s she always  always had a hand in fine art and fashion, painting and making, creating and selling a hand painted line of tops in the markets of Camden Lock in London, UK when she was just nineteen years old.



At the National Gallery of Ireland there were several magical exhibits and two that really that drew us in. One was an exhibit of modern surreal comic book like figurative paintings and videos dissecting commercial culture with huge color and humor. And lots of soft pink hues and clouds. 

 A stained glass exhibit depicting neo-romantic images of mythical lords and ladies in mouth watering back lit color. Detailed and captivating. Both exhibits were so different and both so very alive. We were so grateful for the opportunity to see them before we left.

We were ecstatic and fulfilled and ready to move on to our next destination though we dream of going back to Ireland and visiting the countryside and spending more time with the art, the music and the fabulous people of this dream island. As I said previously we are informed by it all, drinking it in and taking what we can to create something new, something of our own. This is the quest and one of the great adventures of the creative life that we have chosen to live.

No one would have thought that in what seemed like the blink of an eye all of our shows were been shut down. Like a lot of artists we are struggling to sustain ourselves amidst the pandemic. We are so grateful for the support you, our beautiful customers have shown us by shopping online. It means the world to us personally and is helping us to weather the storm.  We pray you,your families and loved ones are safe and well. Stay in touch and please, please share our website, http://www.sharonlondon.com  and newsletter with your friends.  

Like us on Facebook @sharonlondondesigns and follow us on Instagram #sharonlondondesigns. We have new work , great new prints for the fall and our new tops, great for your zoom meetings. 

Much Love,

Carl and Sharon